A New Year...A New Unit...A New Task

Our first day back for this new year brought two (!) unexpected fire alarms that sent us out into the wind and snow without the benefit of coats, scarves or hats. For some of us, the experience was a reminder of the conditions our Rhode Island forbears faced when they sought to survive and thrive in this challenging new land – without such everyday comforts as centrally heated homes, indoor plumbing, electric lights and instant communication. Because we take these things for granted, we need to think about what we would do if we were suddenly deprived of them, as sometimes happens during winter ice storms or summer hurricanes. Foresight and preparedness are as important to our own survival as they were to our ancestors, but our lives have become so comfortable compared to theirs that it sometimes takes the shock of the unexpected to remind us of that critical truth.

CWI

We started off the new year with a look at Time Magazine’s retrospect on 2009. News organizations do a great job of gathering and sharing top photos from the year. Take the time to explore some of these special shows...a picture is worth a thousand words. We also listened to the Time Magazine interview with Brian Williams from NBC news. The question, from viewers, focused on the key events in the past decade.

We began our unit on East Asia by drawing a map of the region and reading background material and doing bold to bold notes. Note taking is a skill you need to master. While everyone may have a different method of recording notes, the end result should be the same... making sure you have collected key information and making connections. The bold to bold questions were “easy” to answer if you had good notes.

We also did a partner activity where we looked at economic measuring tools and applied them to countries in East Asia. The criteria included how many TVs and cars were owned by families. You quickly discovered that while the US remains ahead of the countries of East Asia, they are rapidly closing the gap and becoming much more developed. That should cause all of us to pause and think about the ramifications of this region surpassing the US in economic and military strength. Recently I read a book review where the author predicts that the coming decade will see a shift from Western influence and domination to Eastern domination. Instead of teaching Western Civilization (World History), we may want to think about offering Asian History. For homework, you had the worksheet “Is China Rich?” This activity gave you excellent background information on the country and you had to assess whether the facts presented, such as population size, represent a strength or a weakness, and whether China poses more of a threat or an opportunity to the United States.

Finally, we started our portfolio task. You will be writing a reflective essay on an international issue. Your essay will be supported with current events articles. You had two days in the library and a graphic organizer. Next week you will have two days in the computer lab to upload your essay to your portfolio. This is an extended task so you are welcome to work on it prior to going to the computer lab. You need to do some time management and decide how much time you need to complete the task by Friday. The task will also be worth 50 points as an in-class assignment.

World History

We started off the new year with our Industrial Revolution interviews. This activity allowed you to work with a partner on one key person during this time period. This activity gives you the opportunity to think about open ended questions which encourage substantive responses. This is a great skill you can use for future assignments as well as when you are interviewed for a job or for college.

We then started our unit on Nationalism. We are going to look at how strong leaders were able to unite the previously divided Germans and Italians into two new nation-states. We also spoke about how a common language and culture help foster a sense of community, and we used the Brothers Grimm Fairly Tales as an example of how the German people came to recognize their common heritage. On Monday we will go to the library and start our campaign poster on one of these key leaders. Over the weekend you need to complete your worksheet on the Strengths of Germany and the Unification of Italy.

We also had the opportunity to hear from Otto von Bismarck in our video clip on German nationalism and discussed his “Iron and Blood” speech.

Your next current event is due on January 13 and it must be about Germany. Can you make any connections between our current reading and events in Germany today?

A Word about Decorum

As you may have heard, the administration and faculty are trying to encourage a greater sense of responsibility and proper behavior. You may notice that class doors are closed after the bell rings and fewer passes are being written. All of this is an effort to have more students spend their time in classes rather than wandering the halls.

Let me remind you that you must get to class on time. If getting to your locker is an issue then you may have to carry all your books for morning classes and only visit your locker at lunch time. If you are late to class you have two days to serve your X period. If you do not serve then your name is put on the detention list. Please make sure to come to class on time and if you are assigned an X period, serve it and move on.

I also need to remind you that if you are absent unexcused, the work for that day cannot be counted. You may be given the work and you may do it but your grade cannot be recorded. These provisions are clearly outlined in your handbook. Parents and guardians are asked to call the school by 8:00 am on a day that you will not be in school.

That said, I will close by noting that I am very proud of the way the majority of you are approaching your work and behaving in class and I am impressed by the progress you have shown since the school year began. I know you will continue the good work!